Itai Shapira has been recording since the days of 4 track tascam tape machines in his bedroom. Now, a Pro Tools HD8 Certified Operator equipped with a Pro Tools studio, Itai has graduated from bedroom demos to radio quality productions.
Born and raised in Los Angeles and educated at UCLA with a B.A. in Ethnomusicology and Music Production, Itai has a wide range of knowledge in world genres and a solid background in audio engineering. While studying at UCLA, he had the privilege of learning from the greatest musicians of this era, including Afro-Cuban maestro Francisco Aguabella, virtuoso Brazilian percussionist Airto Moreira and sitar master Ustad Shujaat Khan.
As a composer, musician and multi-instrumentalist, Itai has found a unique way to combine his musicianship with his knowledge of recording and producing. He has received guidance through his work with various composers and producers, including the Grammy award winning producer Larry Klein and Oscar Award Winning Film Composer Yuval Ron.
His audio engineering skills and knowledge of Pro Tools have been further enhanced by his studies with engineer Andrew Scheps, grammy award winning engineer Helik Hadar and Jose "Chilitos" Valenzuela of Audiograph International, where he received his certificate as a Pro Tools Music Operator.
Itai has worked on productions with the legendary Sly Stone, jazz giant Herbie Hancock, producer extraordinaire Leon Ware, Brazilian singer Luciana Souza, Ghanaian Reggae superstar Rocky Dawuni, Ozomatli and a handful of local artists including Jneiro Jarel, Aloe Blacc, Anthony Valadez, his own project BabyStone (featuring Sly Stone's daughter, Novena Carmel). He currently resides in Los Angeles.